Thursday, January 1, 2026
ADVT 
India

12-Year-old Boy Branded As 'Devil' For Having 'Big Hands'

IANS, 11 Aug, 2017 01:28 PM
    Tarik, a 12-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh has been suffering from a mysterious condition of ' big hands' since birth, that made the village folks term him a 'Devil.'
     
     
    Tarik works on a tea stall and lives with his older brother.
     
     
    According to his aunt Pushpa, his hands were always big, and "as he started growing, his hands got bigger" too.
     
     
    Now, as long as 12 inches, his hands have prevented him from doing even the simple tasks. His daily needs like bathing, dressing, and eating are taken care of by his older brother, Hargyan.
     
     
    "When his father was alive he took him to the local doctors a lot. But his father passed away and he only has his mother now, so he can't get any treatment", added the aunt.
     
     
    His neighbours, believing, it to be a curse, have labelled him as a " Devil". The boy has also been a target of bullying.
     
     
    "They don't know it's a medical condition and it can be cured," said Tarik, adding that his family's lack of money "doesn't mean it can't be cured".
     
    Tarik wanted to study, but was refused admission by school authorities.
     
     
    His brother said, "The school authorities said they could not take Tarik as his huge hands will scare other kids. He was denied admission in almost every school."
     
     
    Multiple appointments with local doctors haven't made a difference yet.
     
     
    Dr Pawan Kumar Gandhi said, "Tarik's problem is actually a mystery to us. We've never seen a patient with this before. I have seen a few similar cases but they had Elephant Foot disease, his condition seems to be similar to that."
     
     
    Hargyan expressed his disappointment over local doctors having no sophisticated equipment, and the lack of money for a good hospital, "Every single doctor suggested to get Tarik a proper treatment. But for us there is no way. He has to stay like this till we have some money for the treatment."
     
     
    While the 12-year old hopes for a better treatment, his tragic tale has caught the eye of many international media houses including DailyMotion, Mirror, and MSN, who recently covered his story.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Triple Talaq Issue: Nearly 80% Of Divorced Indian Muslims Are Women

    Triple Talaq Issue: Nearly 80% Of Divorced Indian Muslims Are Women
    Across religious communities, except Sikhs, there are more divorced women than men. But the gender skew is particularly sharp among Muslims (79:21), followed by "other religions" (72:28), and Buddhists (70:30).

    Triple Talaq Issue: Nearly 80% Of Divorced Indian Muslims Are Women

    Wishes Pour In For Virender Sehwag On His 38th Birthday

    Wishes Pour In For Virender Sehwag On His 38th Birthday
    Former India opener Virender Sehwag turned 38 on Thursday and received birthday wishes from fellow cricketers.

    Wishes Pour In For Virender Sehwag On His 38th Birthday

    Congress MLA Suspended; Remarks Against Rahul Gandhi, Says 'i Can't Call A Donkey A Horse'

    Congress MLA Suspended; Remarks Against Rahul Gandhi, Says 'i Can't Call A Donkey A Horse'
    Chhattisgarh Congress on Tuesday suspended its rebel MLA R K Rai for "anti-party" activities but that did not deter him from making "derogatory" remarks against Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.

    Congress MLA Suspended; Remarks Against Rahul Gandhi, Says 'i Can't Call A Donkey A Horse'

    5 Of Family Killed As Car Rams Into Bus Near Ludhiana

    5 Of Family Killed As Car Rams Into Bus Near Ludhiana
    The accident occurred on Ludhiana-Malerkotla road near village Sarinh, about 20 km from Ludhiana city last night, they said.

    5 Of Family Killed As Car Rams Into Bus Near Ludhiana

    Sonia Gandhi Appoints 3 New General Secretaries In Poll-Bound Punjab

    Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved fresh appointments in the Pradesh Congress Committee in poll-bound Punjab, with the addition of three new general secretaries.

    Sonia Gandhi Appoints 3 New General Secretaries In Poll-Bound Punjab

    'I Am An Allahabadi Goonda' Says Justice Katju

    "Why does MNS attack helpless people? If u are brave, come to me. I've a danda (stick) waiting for u and is getting impatient," Katju said in twin tweets this evening.

    'I Am An Allahabadi Goonda' Says Justice Katju